Covering for surfaces exposed to the weather



S. C. STRAUB COVERING FOR SURFACES EXPOSED TO THE WEATHER Oct. 9, 1934.

Filed Jan [NI/ENTOR J/WUEL C 577m z/B A TTORNEY vIl@ Patented ct. 9, 1934 FFICE COVERHNG FR SURFACES ESED T0 THE WEATHER Samuel eC. Straub, New "York, N. Y., assigner to Certain-'freed Products Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Maryland n Application `llaiumary 23,

2l Ciaims.

strips have also been used in which the strip is v divided into sections to simulate the individual shingles by stripes or grooves formed in the coating of asphalt or other mastic material applied to the surface of the sheet. Similarly, coverings for:

Walls have been suggested in which depressions in the mastic coating have been used to simulate the joints of masonary or brickwork. Few, if

any, satisfactory suggestions have been made,

however, for the simulation of wall constructions such as clapboards or similar siding materials and such suggestions have failed either to electa proper simulation of the texture and appearance o such siding constructions or have failed to properly provide a protective and weather-proof covering of such character as to resist the action of the elements and to have long life as Well as to insure insulation against the loss of heat from the structure and the leakage of air and water thereinto.

One object, therefore, of the present invention -is to provide a weather resisting construction which may be laid exposed to the Weather andpresent the appearance of a wood siding construction.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a unit simulating a Wood siding material which may be easily applied to the building wall.

A further object of the invention is to provide va clapboard simulating unit of such form that when a plurality of units are applied to the wall the texture and surface character oi a wall of wood clapboards would be simulated.

A further aim of the invention is to provide a clapboard simulating unit which may be easily laid to provide the approximately uniform exposure of Wood clapboard siding construction.

A further object of the invention is to provide a wood siding simulating construction having high heat insulating as well as Weather and water resisting characteristics.

A further aim' of the present invention is to provide a method of covering an external surface to' produce the constructions which have the features of the present invention. 1

ln one aspect the present invention provides a strip made from a sheet of suitable exible base whichmay be impregnated with weatherproof or Waterproof material such as asphalt or other bituminous material of a character to easily ilex with, the sheet. Such strips are usually coated with asphalt or similar material on the side of the strip to be exposed to form a mastic coating to which mineral material such as slate or ground brick or similar granular substances will adhere in order to-'provide a suitable and pleasing exterior surface resistant to abrasion and the action of the elements and assisting to maintain the Waterproofing action of the asphalt coating and therefore of the-base felt. Usually such strips have been laid dat upon a roof or Wall and their form and surface charac.

teristics have been made such that the simulation of shingles or bricks or other construction units `has been produced. The strip of the present invention, however, is of such form and is so made that it may be folded with one portion of the strip reversely lapping upon or covering another portion thereof so that the characteristics of a unit having a thick butt or of tapering crosssection may be simulated. While units of various kinds have heretofore been proposed which have been made of sheets of liexible material folded in various Ways, the present invention, While producing the Wood siding simulating construction described above and similar constructions to which the invention may be applied, overcomes the difficulties which have been experienced in the use of folded sheets or strips.

It is Well-known that when a felt base strip or unit coated with asphalt or other bituminous material and usually surfaced with ground slate or similar mineral material is folded, not only is it dii'iicult or impossible to `produce a fold in a substantially straight line, which is usually desirable or requisite, but as in general the fold causes onelap to be more or less sharply reversed upon the other, a cracking of the asphalt coating occurs and a separation of the mineral materials along and adjacent to the fold is produced since, even though a relatively thin felt is used and the attempt is made to apply a thin coating of asphalt or other mastic material a thickness of the coating and of the strip lof substantial degree is built up, and it becomes difcult or impossible to prevent the cracking.

VWhile heretofore it has been suggested to assist the making of the fold in a. straight line by scoring the sheet or the v`asphalt coating, such a method is not always possible and does not pro- .and -fiexure duce satisfactory results. Such scoring methods merely squeeze a small amount of the asphalt or mastic coating on the felt along the line of the score or compress the coating further into the felt and do not suciently relieve the tension which exists in the asphalt coating upon bending Asphalt and other mastic compounds while iexible and having'other necessary qualities are not sufliciently elastic to withstand this tension when a substantial thickness is subjected to a relatively sharp bend (180). rThe resulting cracking produces the undesirable results described.

A further feature of the present invention, therefore, is to provide-for 'the removal of a portion of the asphalt coating adjacent or along the line of the fold or to otherwise reduce the thickness of the asphalt coating along the fold so that the tension is relieved in the portions adjacent to the line of the fold and thereby cracking is prevented. In the units of the present invention this folding may bev done to such degree that the bend is made at sharper angles than would otherwise be possible and the folds may be bent upon each other to substantially 18o". One method of providing for the reduced thickness of the asphalt coating is to form a scraped groove in said coating according to the method disclosed in the patent to Outman, No. 1,426,497,

in which, by meansof a scraping device the asphalt is removed from the area to which the scraper is applied to form a partially coated groove or area of substantially reduced thickness but of weather-proong character. This scraped surface may also provide a relatively hard, smooth area to which the mineral material used for surfacing will not readily adhere. It will be seen, therefore, that the tension in the asphalt layer is, by this method, easily reduced or eliminated when the fold is made and further that a groove vor area having different characteristics than the main coated surface of the strip is provided. These characteristics are utilized in special ways as hereafter described. While the provision of a groove or area having a reduced thickness of asphalt coating is preferably accomplished bythe method according to the Outman Patent 1,426,497, other methods for removal of the asphalt-or of preventing its application may be used within the scope of the present invention,

to produce the desired result. i

When a strip of suitable base material such as impregnated felt is coated with a layer or coating of asphalt or other mastic material and a groove or area having a reduced thickness of coating is provided, as just described, the remaining surfaces being suitably coated with surfacing material to represent the exposed surface of a construction such as clapboards ofwood, there is provided a unit which may be easily handled in suitable lengths and readily packed and shipped. In applying such units to the wall or other supporting structure, the unit may be placed with themiineral surfaced side next to the supporting structure, and the portion on the side of the groove opposite the area to be exposed may be fastened to the structure by any suitable means such as nailing. .The strip may then bebent or folded reversely upon itself along the line of the groove or in the'area of reduced thickness of'coating near or adjacent the edge of the mineral surfaced area. Usually the portion ap-` plied to the wall .as just described will be of less VWidth than the portion providing the mineral `surfaced areato be exposed. The .edge of said mineral surfaced area remote from the groove or area of reduced thickness of the asphalt coating may then be fastened to the structure by suitable means. Due to the slight stiness of the other- Wise flexible felt of the strip a perfectly flat fold is usually not produced but a thickness of greater or less degree such as is usual With clapboards of Wood materials'is provided in` the wood siding simulating strip of the present invention. The amount of this thickness of the "butt may be controlled by greated or less thickness of the felt or of the asphalt lcoating or the amount of material removed from the scraped portion or combination of these factors as well asby the degree of bending above referred to. The Width of the groove may also be varied in order to modify the eiect of this simulation of thickness of butt".

A further feature of the invention in the use of a groove or area from which the slate or mineral surfacing material has been removed or to Which it does not adhere is provided by the effect of shadow which such a groove or area may be caused to give. It has been found that the bending or folding of the strip along the line o the groove or area of reduced thickness of asphalt may be so done that said groove or area is in somewhat convex form and a small width of the surface thereof is visible when the strips are applied to a Wall surface. This effect may be increased or decreased by the removal of less or more asphalt coating from the groove alone or in combination with the use of a greater or less thickness of felt. Such shadow eiect therefore constitutes one of the features of the present invention.

It is further to be noted that the provision of e. groove or area of reduced thickness of asphalt, especially when formed by the .method of the above mentioned Outman patent, No. 1,426,497, produces a more sharply dened edge for the mineral surfaced area of the strip which is to be exposed. This feature further assists in the simulation of clapboard constructions of the usual type made of Wood in which the clapboards are planed to sharp edges.

-coating of substantially uniform dimensions and'.

placed in substantially uniform relation to the edges of the strips and the surfaces to be exposed. 'I'here is thus made possible an easy method of application of the strips to the wall or other supporting structure which obviates the use of measurements in order to insure substan- -tially uniform lay up of the siding upon the structure. With the units of the present inventionV which are adapted to be folded While laying in place upon the structure, it is possible to match the edge of the strip to be laid relative to the strip already laid, the spacing of the strips and the amount of exposure being determined'by the folding along the line of the groove or the edge of the mineral surfaced exposed portion which is adjacent to said groove or area of decreased asphalt thickness. There therefore is included in 15a the present invention the method of laying strips of the character herein disclosed in order to provide a covering simulating constructions of wood or other materials having a substantially uniform exposure of its units or elements laid in overlapping arrangement upon a supporting structure.

A further feature of the present invention lies in the provision of a construction having high heat insulating quality. As will be understood from the above discussion, and particularly from the description in connection with the drawing,

the folded strip provides an air space between the supporting structure and the outer exposed portion of the strip. This air space is of a thickness varying from the thickness of the butt to nothing where the upper edge of the unit is attached to the supporting structure. It will be seen, however, that successive cells or isolated volumes of air will becontained in the space behind the strips when applied in overlapped arrangement upon the structure. It is well-known that such isolated and confined air volumes provide high heat insulation. Such insulation is maintained if circulation of the air through such spaces is prevented. It will be seen from the figures in the drawing that the construction provided by the strips applied to the structure prevents passage of the air` frozn the volume behind one strip to the volume behind the adjacent strips above and below upon the structure. age of air around the ends of the strip, the present invention proposes to interlock the strips which are adjacent to each other in a row upon the structure as will be illustrated and described in connection with the drawing. Other means may be used at special points in the structure to meet special conditions to prevent the circulation of air. Such means, however, are included vWithin the present invention which broadly aims 'to provide a construction formed of covering strips of the type described, arranged so as to provide cellular spaces to aord a heat insulating construction.

Other features and objects of the present invention will appear from a consideration of the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which 4Fig. l is an assembly of units in overlapping arrangement.

Fig. 2 is a cross-section on line 2-2 of'Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a face view of a single covering unit.

Fig. 4 is a cross-section or" Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a cross-section of the assembly of units shown in Fig. l taken on line 5 5.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged cross-section of the strip adjacent the groove.

Fig. 7 is a cross-section showing a modified embodiment of the invention.

In Fig. l the units l are shown laid endwise to each other in rows with one row lapped upon another. IThe endsof the units are also in lapped arrangement in relation to the units adjacent in the row. The portion 2 of the unit has been folded reversely in relation to the portion 3 which forms the exposed face of the unit. The portion i extending beyond the face portion 3 constitutes an edge portion upon which is lapped the reversely folded portion or ange 2 of the unit. In the assembly arrangement shown in Fig. 1` the folds in the units have been made along the groove 5, a portion of the surface of which may be,r seen in the assembly view due to the somewhat rounded form as a result of the bending of the strip to form the unit. The exposed area 3 n order to obviate leal;-

of the units has been suitably surfaced, for example with granular mineral material, and this surfacing may extend over the area 4 which is overlapped by a superimposed unit. The flange 2 as shown in the figure is similarly'surfaced with mineral material although this surfacing may in some cases be omitted."

The units in the form illustrated in Fig. 1 are formed from strips all of substantially the same width and the groove has been formed in the surface thereof at substantially the same distance from the longitudinal edge of the strips in all units. In the folded form, therefore, the flange 2 is 'of substantially a uniform width and the face portions of the units are also of substantially the same width. It will be seen from Fig. l and also by reference to Fig. 2 showingthe section of the assembly arrangement that the edge of the iiange is substantially matched with the edge of the face portion of the unit in its folded form. ylt will therefore be clear that the exposed portion 3 of the face of the unit is deterros and one which has the advantages of uniformity of the strips from which the units are made, thereby reducing the cost of manufacture and assuring uniform surface characteristics, and also reducing the cost of applying the units to the wall or' other structure. The ease of laying the units upon the surface to be covered will be evident since it is only necessary to align the edge of the flange 2 substantially with the edge of the face portion of the unit beneath which has previously been laid, thereby insuring the position of the strip or unit being laid relative to the strip beneath. No measurements are necessary to effect the proper placing of the units and rows one relative to the other. When the strip has been folded along the line of the groove 5 and the face portion 3 has been folded over the flange 2 and fastened to the supporting structure, it will be evident, by reflerence to Figs. l and 2, that the upper edge of ill-0 will be seen that therefore the unit-s may be lapped endwise so that the U section of one unit lies within the U section of the strip adjacent endwise thereto. A consideration of Fig. l in connection with Fig. 5 will make plain that there is complete overlapping of the endwise adjacent end portions of adjacent strips. There is thus provided a complete sealing of the assembly of units against entrance of water or wind and the water tight con# struction is thus built up due to the endwise overlapping and interlocking as well as the overlapping of the units in their folded form in this manner and shaped after the manner of wood clapboards. These endwise joints or laps 6 may -be staggered relative to each other to more eifectively seal and prevent water nding a continuous joint through which it may seep. The endthe cell-like Space which is formed behind the face portion of the units and which constitutes a conned space when the anges 2 and the upper edges of the face portions 3, d have been suitably fastened to the supporting structure or `wall. If desired, the end lapped portions 6 may be suitably cemented or otherwise fastened to assist in maintaining tight end joints.

It will be noted that the groove 5 has a somewhat convex surface as mentioned above and shown in Mg. 2. vWhile, due to the scraping process by which these grooves are preferably formed as above described, they have a sharply defined edge 7 and thereby provide the face portion of the unit which is to be exposed with a relatively sharp and substantially rectilinear edge to carry out the simulation of the clapboard, the slightly convex surface/of the grooves being usually also of contrasting color is partially visible when the assembly upon the structure is viewed at a distance under the usual circumstances. This partially visible area or line of the groove gives the appearance of a shadow and thus assists in simulating the eect produced by the clapboard and similar constructions. The degree of this shadow effect may be varied as desiredby increasing the width of the groove, its convex'ity, and the amount of its area caused to be visible.

In the units usually used for the purpose of the presentv invention strips of roofing felt irnpregnated with bituminous material such as asphalt and having a coating of such bituminous material thereon are provided with a groove scraped in the bituminous coating, the remaining portions of the coating being surfaced with. a suitable mineral material such as slate. Fig. 3 shows a face view of such a strip in which the groove is shown at 5 and the slate covered face portion of the rstrip at 3 and the portion to be used as a reverse ange is shown at 2. Similar reference characters designate the portions of the strip in Fig. 4 in which also the base material or roong felt is shown at 8, the asphalt coating at 9 and the mineral material applied to the asphalt coating at 10. It will be noted from the section in Fig. 4 that a slight amount of the asphalt coating remains at thebottoin of the groove. In the scraping process according to the patent to Outman No..1,426,497,due to the character of the asphalt applied as a coating and its adhesion to the felt a thin layer or film of the asphalt remains in the groove and this serves as a protection to 'the felt beneath and as a weather proof and water tight coating. It will be clear from Fig. 4 and Fig. 6, showing an enlarged section of the strip adjacent the groove, that the reduction of the thickness of the asphalt coating 9 to the thickness of this thin layer or lm in the groove makes it possible to bend 'or flex the strip and the asphalt impregnated felt base 8 Without causing extreme tensionv in the asphalt coating 9 on either side of the groove.

It is therefore possible to avoid the cracking of the asphalt as described above and the separation of the slate granules of 'the surfacing 10 due to this cracking when the strip is folded to form a unit. l

It will be apparent from a consideration of Figs. 3 and 4 in connection'with the remaining gures that strips may be shipped flat, thus providing a convenient package when not in long lengths. It has been found, however, that a convenient package for shipment and for handling in applying the strips may/be made by forming a roll of a continuous long length of the strip.

This vroll will then be of a width equal to the width of the strip from the edge of the flange to the edge of the face portion. In a practical embodiment of the invention such a strip might be 9 inches wide; making the width of the roll 9 inches. In manufacturing these strips according to the Outman process in a machine, four strips at a time may be made, being cut' from a sheet 3o inches wide. The grooves, for example of a width of i@ inch, might be so placed relative to the edges of the strips as they are slit apart that the width of the flange would be 1% inches. Furthenithas been found advantageous in some cases, in shipping such rolls, towind the four lengths on a single shaft or mandrel so arranged that the strips may be unrolled each one independently of the other. rlhe arrangement may, however, be made so that all four strips are unwound together. Such a form of package makes possible the application of the strips or stripping in unbroken lengths to the side walls of a building, for example, thereby avoiding endwise joints.

In practice either or both methods of assembling the strips or stripping preparatory to application upon the structure, i. e., as fiat units Ior in rolls, may be used.

Such shipment in strips or in rolls as desired is made possible by the present invention because of the feature thereof which permits bending of the strip as applied to the structure without cracking of the coating or surfacing material as described above. It is therefore possible to apply the strips or stripping to a structure under adverse weather conditions and particularly when the temperature is much lower than is possible if the scraped groove were not formed in 'the strips. Not only is it therefore possible to avoid preforming the strips in order to prevent the cracking, but being provided with a groove or scraped portion it is unnecessary to heat the strip on the job before bending, which method would become necessary if strips without such grooves were shipped at or in rolls for convenience of shipping and then bent or folded upon application to the struc.- ture. Furthermore, since it is possible to bend the units or stripping of the invention upon application to the structure, a more secure method and arrangement of fastening by nailing or otherwise can be provided than with preformed units.

In applying the strips or stripping to the structure various methods may be used, but I have found that certain advantages are obtained by the particular method I now describe.. According to this method the units or the lengths of stripping may be applied to the wall or supporting structure by placing the strip or stripping against the Wall with the mineral surfaced side next thereto. The flange portion 2 is then suitably fastened to the wall, for example, by driving nails 11, Figs. 1, 2, 7, through this flange from the back side of the felt, holding the face portion of the ange against the wall. When the ange of a` strip has been suitably fastened to the wall with the flange portion uppermost and the mineral surfaced side toward the wall as just indicated, the portion 3 of the strip may be lifted and folded upwards and over the.ange 'portion by bending the strip in the groove 5. Such exure, due to the residual stiffness of the felt, will cause the portion 3 of the strip to stand away somewhat from the flange portion 2. There will thus bef f ormed the butt edge of a unit such as a clapboard having a thicker portion at said butt end than in the remaining portion of. the unit. When the free edge of the face portion of the unit is similarly fastened to the wall or structure an approximately triangular form of cross-section of the unit is produced or one which corresponds to the section of a clapboard orsimilar type of covering material, such as novelty siding.

The nails 11 are completely covered by the folded-over portion of the unit and the nails which are driven in the free edge portion of the face of the strip 'are likewise covered when the next "super-imposed unit is similarly laid. The unsightliness of the nails or other fastening devices is thereby avoided and they are properly protected against the action of the weather. The nails driven through the :dange portion 2 when vthe strip is rst applied to the structure need only be su'icient in number to hold the strip or stripping in place while the face portion is bent or folded thereover. It will be clear from a consideration of the drawing and the description of the method of application that in addition to the nails driven through the'edge of the face portion of the unit to secure said edge portion of the face ofthe clapboardsimulating unit, the nails-driven through the superimposed flange of the next strip will alsohold this upper edge of the face portion.

` By suitable spacing of the nails as driven through the upper edge portion of the face of the unit or strip the subsequent nailing of the flange applied thereover will provide adequate fastening of the upper edge of the face of the unit in order to sustain the weight of the strip and hold it in place.

- There is thereby secured an economy in the use of nails or other fastening devices and at the same time a close fitting application of the units to the structure with the resultant prevention of air leaks is secured:

It will be seen from a consideration of the gures that a space enclosed between flange 2,

the face portion 3 of the strip and the wall or' supporting structure forms a somewhat triangularly shaped cell in which air is enclosed without opportunity for free passage from one cell to the next. When the lapping of the units at their ends is eected in the manner above described, a continuous space or cell 15 is formed behind the clapboard simulating unit which, since it encloses a confined volume of air, constitutes an effective heat insulating unit, it being well known that such confined volumes of air afford one Vof the most efcie'nt means of insulation which'.

areknown. By suitably closing the ends of each cellular space in the row and, if necessary, dividing the space endwise by suitable inserts therein,

passage of the air endwise along the cell may be prevented. v

While the invention has been illustrated to simulate the clapboar'd construction, its various features are not limited to such specific construction,

and its advantages may be obtained in units sim- 'may be used to form the units and various modications of the relation between thegroove and the ange may be made. Instead of the lapped construction shown in Fig. 1 for the end joints of the strips, a butt joint may be made with or without a suitable strip or a suitable filler at the joint to effect the mechanical cooperaion of the strips.

lThe surfacing material may be varied in color or thickness or granular character or may be omitted altogether in order to produce certain effects to simulate sidings painted in different colors or units of different characters and textures. The color and surface character of the groove may be varied by the use of different coatings applied thereto such as fine slate or mica or other material, and combinations of these for varying the character of surface may be combined with f the variations described ab'ove to produce a different character of butt or form of cross-section or degree of curvature of the surface of the groove or of the exposed surface of. the strips or By suitable bending or pre-forming the strips, units to simulate novelty' siding may be produced. v

While the uniformly dimensioned strips which have been described above to produce a siding construction of uniform spacing oler many advantages, a constructionas shown in Fig. 'ly may be utilized under some conditions. While not dproviding the self-spacing feature which the construction described in connection with Figs. l, 2 and 5 affords, the construction illustrated in Fig. 7 makes possible the pre-forming and folding of the clapboard or siding simulating units. By suchpre-forming it is possible to produce a more exact -shape of the clapboardor siding and to incorporate mechanical llers or other features if desired. This construction also oers the advantage that the units may be completely closed to form individual cells, using cement 'to seal and bind the laps if desired', thus providing a highly efficient insulating unit. Wiile the units illustrated in Fig. 7 may be pre-formed as just described, they may also be applied tol the f Awall or structure by the method described in connection with Figs. l,` 2 /and 5. In such case theA method of 4nailing may be used which is described in connection cwith these other figures,

thus securing an especially firm fastening fory thelower portion of the units. In such prefolded and pre-formed units in some vcases the scraping of the groove or the removal` of the asphalt material 'may be dispensed with and other methods or means adopted to produce the triangularly sectioned air cell enclosing folded unit. Such methods and such forms of celled siding strips or units are included within the present invention. L

Having now described my invention, I claim- 1. AA strip of asphalt impregnated felt coated on one side thereof .with asphalt, having a groove scraped in said asphalt coating lengthwise of said strip to provide a residual coating only of said asphalt in said groove, said groove'dividing the surface of the strip into two unequal areas, the portion of the strip ofl lesser area being so folded upon the portion of greater area that the groove is external to the fold, said groove being so formed that the edges thereof sharply demark said areas from said groove, said fold being made so that said edges of said groove define lthe edges butt end thereof formed by the surface of the p 2. A clapboard simulating element comprising a strip of felt rimpregnated and coated on at least one surface with asphalt, said strip having a groove scraped with sharply defined edges in said coating lengthwise of the strip to a thick'- ness substantially less than the thickness of said coating as applied, said groove having a width '5 board between said edges of the groove, said Vic edges defining the edges of the simulated clap- 3. l covering for building wells to simula clapboards comprising a plurality of asphalt c oated and mineral surfaced roeng strips each folded along a groove having sharply dened edges andA formed in the asphalt lengthwise of the strip to divide `the exposed clapboard surface from a reverse unexposed flange, each flange being lapped upon the upper portion of the strip beneath md fastened to the wall with the fastenings covered by the portion of the strip to be exposed, said grooves having a width defining the bottom shadow forming butt edge of the simulative clapboard, said edges of the groove dening the edges between said butt edge and the faces of the clapboard. y

Il. A covering unit for exposure to the weather, comprising e, base, and a mastic coating applied on said hase, a substantially square edged groove in said coating having the thicknessof the coating therein on said base reduced by removal of a substantial part of said applied mastic coating, said unit being folded along said groove tor form the butt end of said unit and to provide a reverse portion covered by the remaining portion folded thereover, said square edges of said groove forming the edges of said butt end of the unit.

5. A covering to simulate elapboards, comprising a plurality of similarly dimensioned strips of flexible material coated with a layer of mastic f material, each strip having a groove lengthwise thereof formed in said mastic layer and similarly located in each strip at a predetermined distance from each edge of said strip, said groove having a Width simulating the thickness of the exposed edge of a clapboard, the thickness of the mastic layer in said grooves being less than that of the adjacent areas of the layer, said strips each being folded in said groove to form a reverse ange folded upon the portion of the strip on the opposite side of the groove, said stripsbeing placed in overlapping arrangement with the lengthwise edge remote from the groove ofthe reverse ange of a superimposed strip substantially matching the lengthwise edge remote frornthe groove of said portion of a subjacent strip on the opposite side of the groove from the flange of said subjacent strip, said reverse anges being lapped upon the portions of the subjacent strips adjacent said edges thereof remote from the grooves on the opposite side of the grooves from the flanges, said portions of the strips on the opposite side of the groove from the' flange being partially exposed and partially extending under the reverse anges l of the superimposed strips.

6. A covering to be exposed to the weather upon a supportinglstructure, which' comprises a`plu,

rality of units in overlapping arrangement each` composed of a flexible base coated with masticl material having a depression in said coating separatingA a portion of the strip to be partially ex'-k posed from a portion thereof providing, when the unit is folded. along said depression, a reverse flange, said depression having a width approxi- -ymating the.. desired thickness ofthe -butt of the unit and havingedges sharply demarklng said depression from said portions separated by said depression, said reverse flange portions Ybeing lapped upon those portions of the units next beneath which are adjacent the edges thereof to be overlapped, and means for concomitantly fastening to the structure said flange portions and said overlapped portions, the flanges and fastening means being covered by the portions of the strip to be exposed and folded thereover, the coating in said depressions being of less thickness than that upon said exposed portions and upon said iianges, said exposed portionsand said flanges being so folded in relation to said depression as to provide the thickness of the butt of the units, said edges of said depression defining the edges of the butts of said units.

7. The method of covering Aa surface with a plurality of similar covering units in overlapping arrangement, each or" said covering units being formed of a. flexible base having a coating of mastic material on at leest one surface thereof, 'said coating being of less thickness along a channel formed in the coating than the thickness of the areas of the coatingl adjacent to the channel, A said channel being located in predetermined rela- .placing a unit with the coated surface next to the surface to be covered, fastening to said surface to be covered the portion of the unit on one side of the channel, folding said bese in said channel to forni the butt of the covering unit as determined by the width of said channel and to fold upon said fastened portion of the unit the portion of said unit on the opposite side of the channel from said fastened portion so as to cover said fastened portion while exposing the coated portion on the opposite side of the channel from said fastened portion, matching with the edge of said exposed portion remote from the channel. the edge remote from the channel of the portion to be fastened to the lengthwise edges of said strip andbeing of predetermined widthend depth, fastening to the wall said'upper portion of the strip as so placed, folding the strip in a lengthwise fold along said depression to form the butt end of the siding element as determined bysaid depression and so as to reversely fold over said fastened portion the other portion of the surfaced side of the strip, similarly placing a second similar strip with the upper edge of the strip as soplaced substan- 'tially matching with the upper edge-of the reversely foldedl portion of the strip beneath, and folding said second strip along a similar depression similarly located in the coating of said second strip lengthwise thereof, whereby a predeterminedexposure of the simulativeA siding elements and a predetermined form of their` -btt ends isobtained.

9. VA coveringunit to simulate a. siding element, comprising a base of exible weather resisting material folded in two with one folded portion substantially equal to and folded 'upon the other :Lampes folded portion to form a free space therebetween, the fold being formed with appreciable thickness to simulate the Ibutt end of the sidingelement.

l0. A covering to simulate an assembly of siding elements comprising a plurality of covering units in overlapping arrangement, said units being formed of a base of flexible weather resisting material folded in two with one folded portion substantially equal to and folded upon the other foldedportion and providing a fold of appreciable thickness to simulate the butt end of the siding element, said units being lapped# thickness than -that upon an adjacent area of the strip, said two areas meeting along a line extending longitudinally of the strip and providing by the difference inthickness of their coatings a shoulder along 'said rline of meeting of said areas, said .strip being so folded upon itself in said area of less thickness of coating adjacent said shoulder that the sidev of said strip having the coated areas -thereon is external to the fold, said fold being so made in relation to said `shoulder that the external surface of the folded edge forms theA butt `end surface of the covering element and the shoulderprovides the edge 'between said butt end surface and the surface to be exposed of the covering element. o

y12. A coveringI element comprising a Ibase in the form of a strip of flexible material having a mastic coating on at least one side thereof, a portion of said coating upon an area of the strip extending longitudinally thereof having a surface and a form produced by scraping said coating to a lessl thickness than that upon an adjacent unscraped area of the strip, said twoI areas meeting along a line extending longitudinally of the strip and providing by the difference in thickness of their coatings a shoulder along said line of meeting of said areas, said strip being folded upon itself in said scraped areawith the said areas external to the fold and in such relation to said shoulder that said unscraped area forms the face to be exposed of the covering element and the portionof rthe scraped area adjacent said shoulder is formed as the butt end surface of the ,covering element, said shoulder for-ming the edge between said butt end surface and said face to be exposed.

13. A coverings element comprising a base in the form of a strip of flexible material having on at least one .side thereof a mastic coating capable of bind-ing to said base granular surfacing materialof given grain size, a portion of said coating upon an area of the strip extending longi-j tudinally thereof being of a thickness sufficiently reduced substantially to prevent a layer of saidgranular surfacing materialk adhering thereto, said area of reduced thickness of adjacent to and meeting inra shoulder along a `line extending longitudinally of the* strip an area of normal thickness of coating having adhering thereto a layer of said granular surfacing material to provide the face to be exposed of said element, said strip being folded uponfitself in said area of reduced thickness adjacent said coating being Ljar shoulder with said areas external toi-the fold and with the width of the external surface of the folded edge measured from said shoulder substantially equivalent to the thickness of the butt `end of the covering element and with said' shoulder forming a sharply defined vedge between said butt end and said mineral surfaced face to be exposed of said element.

14. A covering element comprising a base in the form of a strip of flexible material having a mastic coating on at least one side thereof, said coating having formed therein a groove extend-` ing lengthwise of the strip and forming with respect to the area of the strip on at least one side of said groove a shoulder extending lengthwise of the strip sharply demarking said area from said groove, said stripbeing folded in said groove with said groove and said area vexternal 'to the fold and with thewdth of the groove determining the width of the external sur-face of the folded edge of the element to form the butt end of the covering element, said area forming the face to be exposed of the element and said shoulder forming the edge betweenfsaid butt end and said face of the element. l5. A covering element comprising a base of Aiiexible material in the form of 4a strip having posed, said groove providing parallel shoulders 1 sharply demarking said areas from the surface of said groove, said strip being folded in said groove with said groove and said areas external to the .fold and with the portions of the base of said `strip bearing said areas folded one upon the other, said fold being made between-said shoulders to form the butt end of the element as determined by the width of said groove and with said shoulders respectively forming the edges between said butt end and the face to be exposed ofV said element and between said butt end and the area upon said other folded portion of the base, said other portion of the base providing a reverse flangefor fastening the element to a supporting structure.

16. A covering element comprising 'a base of flexible material in the form of a strip having parallel longitudinal edges and having a mastic coating on at least one side thereof, said coating having formed therein a groove extending parallel to said edges and separating said coating into-two kareas at least a portion of one of which strip bearing said areas folded one upon the other,

said fold being made between said shoulders to form the butt vend of the element as determined by the width of said groove and with said shoulders respectively forming the edges between said butt end and the' face to be exposed of said element and between said butt end and the area upon said other folded portion of the base, said other portion of the base providing', a reverse flange for fasteningthe element to a supporting structure;V the width transversely of said groove of the portion of thebase bearing said area tebe exposed being greater than the width transf s f versely oi said groove of the portion of the base providing seid reverse iienge, the dierence be= tween said portions substantially determining the exposure of the fece to be exposed of seid element.

17. e. covering element comprising o sheet of flexible material capable of being formed by folding end folded in two with one folded portion folded upon but free of mutually supporting beering upon the other folded portion throughout e mejor portion of their common extent, the fold being formed with appreciable thickness es the butt of the covering element end with et least one sharply dened edge formed in the fold of the sheet es the edge between the end surface of the butt end e fece surface of the element provided by4 one of the folded portions.

18. .e covering element comprising e, sheet of exible materiel cepoble of being formed by fold-s ing end folded in two with one folded portion folded upon but Without mutually supporting bearing upon the other folded portion throughout e mejor portion oi their common extent, the fold being formed with appreciable thickness es the butt of the covering element end'witli slierply donned edges formed in the fold oi the sheet es the edges between the end surface oi' the butt end the fece surfaces of the element provided by the folded portions.

19. A covering element comprising e loose .of

flexible materiel in the form of e. sheet leaving e, mastic coating on et leest one side thereof, seid bese being capable of being formed by folding and of thereon in the folded form seid mastic coating, seid slieet being folded in two with one folded portion folded upon the other Larmes folded portion and so es to form e free space between seid folded portions, the fold being formed with appreciable thickness es tlie butt of the covering element, seid coating in the folded form upon seid base being of such contour that a sharply defined edge is provided between the end surfece of the butt and e fece surface of the element provided by one of the folded portions.

26. A covering element comprising e sheet of .dexible materiel capable of being formed by folding end folded in two with one folded portion folded upon the other portion, the fold being formed with appreciable thickness as the butt oi the covering element to form e, cell-like space loetween seid folded portions and with e sharply dened edge formed in the fold of the sheet es the edge between the end surface oi the, butt and e fecesurece of the element provided by one of the folded portions, seid edge coinciding with o shoulder formed by s, depression in the sheet.

.21. A covering element comprising e bese in the forni of e strip oi exible material having formed in o. fece thereof e, groove extending I lengtliwise ci the strip end forming with respect to tire eregd of the stripr on et leest one side of seid groove e, shoulder extending lengthwise or the strip sl'ierply deinerlring seid aree from seid groove, seid stripfbeing folded in said groove with seid groei/eend seid eres. external to the fold and with the width of the groove determining the Width of the external surface of the folded edge of the element to form the butt end of the covering element, seid ereg forming the fece to be exposed of the element end seid shoulder forming the edge between seid butt end and seid fece of the element. 

